it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. if congressional republicans refuse to pay america's bills on time, social security checks and veterans' benefits will be delayed. we might not be able to pay our troops our honor our contracts with small business owners. markets could go haywire, interest rates would spike for anybody who borrows money, every home own we are a mortgage. it would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy. so to even entertain the idea of this happening, of the united states of america not paying its bills, is irresponsible. it's absurd. >> well, the president hass got to get past the debt ceiling in order to achieve his second term agenda but how does he do it when some republicans are threatening shutdown. chuck todd and howard fineman. chuck, you know, i get the sense i was listening to the late general schwarzkopf, the man shaping the battlefield. he's basically saying if this government gets shut down and we're not paying our bills, it's a decision by the republican-led house of representatives. he